Author Topic: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration  (Read 17260 times)

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #15 on: August 21, 2014, 10:29:44 PM »
I'm in too. Very interested.  :popcorn:
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline steamer

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #16 on: August 21, 2014, 11:24:22 PM »
OH yea!    did restoration on a 750 HP version...though Not Plenty & Sons!...


This one makes me think of the "Ena" Bob! :ThumbsUp:


Dave
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Damned ijjit!

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #17 on: August 22, 2014, 09:07:29 AM »
LOL, I'll be posting updates for sure then, and many thanks for all the interest ;D

Rod - many thanks for the SPX link! I'd been searching for what felt like an eternity and hadn't come across that one, so I'll be getting in touch shortly to see what their archives hold - fingers crossed for some hidden gems...

Third scale plans? Well once it's modelled in SW there's a nice little button on the mold tools drop-down with 'scale' on it, so I'm sure something can be arranged  :naughty:

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #18 on: August 22, 2014, 09:08:56 AM »
Steamer - which 750hp did you get to play with? It's making mine feel like a learning toy...  :'(

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #19 on: August 22, 2014, 09:37:06 AM »
Wooohooo! We may be getting a good result here - SPX think they may be able to help! Thanks again Rod  :whoohoo:

Offline Maryak

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #20 on: August 22, 2014, 10:05:59 AM »
OH yea!    did restoration on a 750 HP version...though Not Plenty & Sons!...


This one makes me think of the "Ena" Bob! :ThumbsUp:


Dave

Yes similar except for the straight columns on Dave's engine.

We had/have the engine and dynamo engines from the steam dredge South Australian which were kept when she was converted to diesel. This engine also has angled round columns but is a triple, I'm guessing somewhere around 500 IHP.

Best Regards
Если вы у Тетушки были яйца, она была бы Дядюшкой

Offline steamer

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #21 on: August 22, 2014, 10:08:23 AM »
Steamer - which 750hp did you get to play with? It's making mine feel like a learning toy...  :'(

Came out of the Tug "Pegasus"...also known as the Saucony #5

It was built in New York....can't remember the Yard...they built the engine too.

3 years that took!....with 15 people...including my then girlfriend now Wife Anna

Dave

That's me...second from the left....needed one guy on the throttle as it had been modified and was no longer balanced...and at 20 psi would pick you up off the ground!...

19.5 x 39.5 x 30 If I recall correctly....no piston rings on the HP piston or piston valve!...9" diameter journals on the crank.

A 100 HP Seabury Triple that we restored also....closer in size to yours.




« Last Edit: August 22, 2014, 10:46:32 AM by steamer »
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline tangler

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2014, 10:55:08 AM »
Wooohooo! We may be getting a good result here - SPX think they may be able to help! Thanks again Rod  :whoohoo:

 :ThumbsUp:

Rod

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2014, 02:30:01 PM »
Well that SPX link has done the trick! The guys there sent through photos of one of their engines that sits in the yard, plus put me onto the Berkshire records office who held the company records. The office have just replied with the Plenty info, and searching based on bore & stroke gives a choice of six engines, so now to cross reference those to the document list :):)

Beautiful engines, Steamer - thanks for the photos! Where are they now?

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #24 on: August 22, 2014, 02:30:54 PM »
Btw, these are the choices:-

655    [La Mode]    [Passenger launch]   12/1883 03/1884 [A]    Bona, Reading, [Berks]          6 + 6 x 6   £195
673    Shuttlecock   [Passenger ferry]    07/1884 10/1884    Waterman Bros, Devonport, [Devon]    6 + 6 x 6    £242
681                   04/1885 08/1885    Spencer Addison, [Maldon, Essex]    6 + 6 x 6    £220
1700 Marian       [Pleasure launch]   12/1900 04/1901    Hobbs & Son, Henley, [Oxon]       6 + 6 x 6    £292
1713 [Windsor Belle]    [Pleasure steamer]   04/1901 07/1901    W Jacobs, Windsor, [Berks]       6 + 6 x 6    £265
1934                   10/1905 12/1905    G Rennie & Co, Greenwich, [London]    6 + 6 x 6    £287


Offline steamer

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #25 on: August 22, 2014, 04:07:42 PM »
Well that SPX link has done the trick! The guys there sent through photos of one of their engines that sits in the yard, plus put me onto the Berkshire records office who held the company records. The office have just replied with the Plenty info, and searching based on bore & stroke gives a choice of six engines, so now to cross reference those to the document list :):)

Beautiful engines, Steamer - thanks for the photos! Where are they now?

Mystic Seaport Museum....at least they were!.....Never know with museums lately.

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline geoff_p

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #26 on: August 22, 2014, 04:30:17 PM »
For what it's worth: there was always a great competition in Newbury to get an apprenticeship with Plenty. One of my school-chums was lucky enough to get a place.  At the end of it he received his First Class Machinist papers and his cards,  The manager told him to go away and get some experience with other companies after which Plenty & Son would welcome him back.  He always said that after Plenty, the other companies tolerances seemed wide-open and sloppy - he being used to tenths of thous.

When I used to cycle past, their yard was full of rusting casting.  Duncan later told me they would rough-machine each piece, then set the castings outside to "weather" (stress-relief the natural way) for two to three years before performing the finish machining.

Geoff
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Thailand
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Offline mikemill

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #27 on: August 23, 2014, 09:30:33 AM »
There is a three cylinder version for sale on ebay, could be good for referance on the restoration, or purchace only £7000!!!

Mike

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #28 on: August 26, 2014, 09:57:43 AM »
Hi Mike,

Yes I saw that one, and whilst there was no way I could swing that sort of money on the domestic front, it did help to justify the purchase price of this one - 'It's an investment, hon; have a look at this one...'  :Lol:

Geoff - many thanks for that, and good to know how they company were regarded. From personal experience I always found that apprentices would leave after they'd qualified as they were often regarded as the junior for a long time if not, but its a good recommendation on Plenty that they should go back later. I really should have the patience for this sort of ageing too, but the lure of getting a cutter onto the casting is normally too hard to ignore!

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Plenty & Son marine engine restoration
« Reply #29 on: September 03, 2014, 01:25:32 PM »
OK, it's brain picking time here. The engine's finally home and whilst i need to invest in a crane for the cylinder block, the rest is all manageable. Domestically it caused a few 'interesting' chats, but it's lovely to have.

Before I blow the bottom end of the end apart completely I'm just picking over a few details, and one of these is the aft main bearing, which I think is a thrust bearing too. The centre and forward mains have a small, single wick oil pot:-


Whereas the aft has a larger two wick pot with two additional bores:-


And when it's opened up shows a pair of rings on the crank and matching grooves in the bedplate:-


And there are also a pair of steel shims under the cap which i think are later additions:-


So what I'm thinking is that there would be a white metal lining poured into the bedplate & cap to mates with the rings on the crank so that the engine didn't require a separate thrust box. The two wicks in the oil box would lubricate the sides of the bearing, but as to what the two other holes in the oil box are for? Also, if this is a thrust box, then how would it have been cooled?

Any thoughts gratefully received, please!  :headscratch:

Oh, and a couple of gratuitous Plenty photos that I found ;D





 

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